BNP membership list leaked onto internet

A police officer, more than a dozen soldiers, a vicar and a Chelsea pensioner have been named on a list purporting to comprise the entire membership of the British National Party.

By James Kirkup and Christopher Hope

7:36PM GMT 18 Nov 2008

They were exposed after bloggers posted around 10,000 names, together with home addresses, telephone numbers, jobs and even hobbies on the internet.

The leak led some BNP members to fear that they may lose their jobs or face other reprisals

At least one serving police officer is on the membership list, along with several retired officers.

The Association of Chief Police Officers has banned police officers and staff from belonging to the BNP. Last month a Greater Manchester police officer was forced to resign after he was seen wearing a BNP badge at a football match

The BNP leadership is reported to have plans to use the party's council seats to attempt to take places on the police authorities that oversee chief constables' work.

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On the list are 16 servicemen, including a Royal Marines Commando. Among the 68 members listed as former servicmen are one Chelsea Pensioner, three Paras, three Guards and two Royal Marines.

One BNP member is listed as a Church of England vicar.

Simon Darby, the party’s deputy leader, said: “If we find out the name of the person who published this list, it will turn out to be one of the most foolish things they have done in their life. I wouldn’t want to have done that — I wouldn’t be sleeping very well tonight.

“We are worried because children’s names are on the list. It is not information that should be in the public domain. We are always receiving death threats. No true nationalist would have put the lives and livelihoods of fellow nationalists at risk.”

According to Lancaster Unity, the anti-fascist group that first reported the list's publication, other members are noted as construction managers, receptionists, district nurses, lay preachers, company directors and teachers.

Other occupations include librarian, and private investigators.

The list also shows that the party has members as young as 14 years old.

It includes the pastimes of some members, which range from steam railways to line-dancing. Other members are identified as practicing pagans and one male member is listed as "witch".

The publication of the list sparked panic among BNP members using anonymous internet chatrooms. Many expressed fears that they may lose their jobs or face disciplinary action as a result.

One user of a right-wing site wrote: "I'm also on the list, what the ---- is going on? I could lose my job."

Another said: "The reccession means many of us could lose our jobs, add this info to it and its a dead cert."

The publication of the membership list sparked jubilation among anti-racist groups and other critics of the BNP, which wants an immediate halt to immigration and the "voluntary resettlement" of existing immigrants.

The BNP leadership on Tuesday confirmed that the list was a broadly accurate picture of the party membership list for 2007. The party and said it had contacted police about the publication.

A BNP spokesman said that Nick Griffin, the party's leader, has made a complaint to Dyfed Powys Police about the publication.

The spokesman said Mr Griffin alleges that publication of his members' details violates both the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act, legislation his party has said should be repealed.

A spokesman for Dyfed Powys Police said it had no record of a complaint from Mr Griffin.

Simon Darby, deputy leader of the BNP, said the list had been leaked by political opponents worried by the party's recent electoral gains. The party claims to have 100 councillors, including parish councillors, and one member of the London Assembly.

"In a way it's a compliment, a sign of how worried people are about how well we're doing" he said.

Earlier this year, the BNP leadership won a court injunction against former party staff over the use of the membership list, preventing them using it to contact members or send them information.